Benjamin Gershon Kayfetz was born on December 24, 1916 in Toronto, graduating from the University of Toronto in 1939, with a B.A. in modern languages. Between the years 1941 and 1943, he worked as a high school teacher in Huntsville and Niagara Falls. In 1943, he joined the war effort, working for the Department of National Defense in Postal Censorship and was responsible for reviewing prisoner of war mail. After the war, Kayfetz traveled to British Occupied Germany where he worked as a censor of telecommunications with the Control Commission until 1947.

Upon returning to Toronto, he was hired as the National Director of Community Relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), and as the Executive (National) Director of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a CJC - B'nai B'rith cooperative organization. He also served as the Central Region Executive Director of the CJC between 1973 and 1978. During his tenure, he worked with various churches, unions and minority groups to develop anti-discrimination laws and for the protection of minority and religious rights. Kayfetz was also actively involved in promoting the welfare of Jewish Communities worldwide, and made visits to Cuba in 1962 and 1965, and Russia in 1985, to study and report on the state of these Jewish Communities. After his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress. In recognition of his efforts to promote Human Rights, he was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1986.

In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym, Gershon B. Newman, and gave a weekly radio address on CHIN radio addressing various contemporary Jewish issues. He was also actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society (serving as its president), Canadian Jewish Historical Society and Yiddish Luncheon Circle. Ben Kayfetz died in 2002.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of materials produced or acquired by Ben Kayfetz in both his personal and professional capacity. It includes biographical materials, minutes, correspondence, recorded CJC and JCRC meetings, memorabilia, transcripts and recorded versions of CHIN radio broadcasts he delivered, as well as various interviews, speeches, articles, book reviews and works he composed. Fonds also consists of minutes, agendas and other records of various Yiddish and historical associations Mr. Kayfetz was involved in.

Series consists of biographical materials and memorabilia relating to Ben Kayfetz and his family. Materials include newspaper articles, a taped interview, certificates, awards, university examinations, personal memorabilia from his service in Germany and materials relating to the Bronfman Medal and Order of Canada he received. This series also contains the video "The Life and the Times of Ben Kayfetz".

File consists of newspaper articles, resumes and other materials documenting and summarizing various aspects of Ben Kayfetz's personal and professional life and includes articles documenting awards he received, career changes and his retirement.

File consists of materials relating to Ben Kayfetz's service with the Control Commission in British Occupied Germany. Materials include troop movement orders, a berthing card, an immigration identification card and other materials.

Series consits of incoming and outgoing correspondence between Ben Kayfetz and various individuals and organizations, and includes correspondence during his service in British-occupied Germany. Correspondence relating to Canadian Jewish Congress/Joint Public Relations Committee and correspondence relating to the various societies and associations Ben Kayfetz belonged to, are located in their respective series.

Series consists of various materials collected by Ben Kayfetz. It includes various items from Nazi Germany including a Jewish yellow star and number on a badge, Nazi hymn book and a service book of a Nazi Stormtrooper. Among the other materials are photographs of the Bronfman family, World War II enlistment posters, Peretz School Composition books and Jewish Old Folks Home Committee minutes.

File consists of photographs collected from various sources including a copy of a photograph of Sam Bronfman and David Ben Gurion held at the Ontario Jewish Archives. These photographs were probably collected for research purposes.

File consists of a portrait of Max Enkin, who was a founder, and leading member of the Jewish Vocational Service of Toronto. The original purpose of the organization, was to help survivors of the Second World War find employment. Since that time, it has evolved into a broad-based community organization, whose purpose is to help people overcome employment and educational barriers.
Enkin served as the first chairman of the organization between 1947 and 1950.

File contains issues no.12 and 18 of Unzer Sztyme (sometimes spelled Unzer Sztime), a Yiddish periodical expressing the concerns of post-WWII Jewish refugees. Unzer Sztyme was published in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons camp after the Second World War.

Series consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, audio recordings of meetings and other materials relating to Ben Kayfetz’s tenure with the Canadian Jewish Congress and Joint Community Relations Committee. This series also includes records of the Joint Public Relations Committee, which was a precursor of the Joint Community Relations Committee.

File contains a kit distributed by the Fair Employment Practices Commission regarding combating racial and religious discrimination in the workplace. This kit was distributed to Ben Kayfetz in his capacity as the National Director of Community Relations at the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Notes

"To gauge public opinion, the JPRC commissioned the Canadian Institute of Public Opinion to take a poll on anti-discrimination legislation. Canadians were asked to consider the following: 'In some parts of the United States, it is against the law to refuse a man a job because of his race, color or religion. Some people approve of this because it ensures equality for all; others disapprove, claiming it interferes with employers. Would you approve or disapprove of such a regulation in this province?'(77) Although the public would remain unaware of it, the Canadian Jewish Congress paid for the poll. Congress officials did so because they were uncertain of the outcome and wanted to reserve the right of publication in the event that the results were unfavourable.(78) Since a majority of those polled favoured anti-discrimination legislation, the results formed the basis of a massive publicity campaign in Ontario. Editors of newspapers and magazines could now confidently be approached to publicize fair employment practices legislation. The poll's results were also included in a fair employment kit that was prepared by the Canadian Jewish Congress and distributed to a large number of community groups." - Ruth Frager and Carmela Patrias

File contains a report of Ben Kayfetz's visits to the Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver Jewish Communities undertaken in his capacity as National Director of the JCRC. The report summarizes the state of each community as well as the pressing issues of the day.

File contains materials relating to Neo-Nazi activity in Toronto and the response of the Canadian Jewish Congress to it. Also contained, is the speech Neo-Nazi leader John Beattie made at Allan Gardens in 1968 and materials relating to the subsequent riot.

File contains materials relating to the prosecution of Ukrainians living in Canada who were suspected of war crimes during the Second World War. Also contained are materials documenting the reactions of the Ukrainian community and Canadian Jewish Congress to that effort.

File includes minutes of various JCRC subcommittees including the legal subcommittee, subcommittee on religious education in public schools, subcommittee on the press and others. File also includes minutes from subcommittees of the Joint Public Relations Committee.

File contains a report of Ben Kayfetz's visits to the Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver Jewish Communities undertaken in his capacity as National Director of the JCRC. The report summarizes the state of each community as well as the prevalent issues.